Quick lockup for plate cylinders



July 24,1928. 7 1 ,677,955 c. s. CRAFTS QUICK LOCK-UP FOR PLATECYLINDERS Filed May 18, 1926 4 'Sheets'Sheet l ATTQ NE'YS.

July 24; 1928.,

c. s. CRAFTS QUICK LOCK-UP FOR PLATE CYLINDERS Filed May 18, 1926 4Sheets-Sheet 2 km on R 3 k H N* 5 4 s ,1 \lwmwv\ 1 9w 5 R w t n mw N IMIoh R v 3 3 W wv July 24, 1928. 7 137x955 C. S. CRAFTS QUICK LOCK-UP FORPLATE CYLINDERS Filed May 18, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet ATTOR. EYS.

('3. S. CRAFTS QUICK LOCK-UP FOR PLATE CYLINDERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4Patented July 24, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CURTIS S. CRAFTS, 0F OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, .ASSIGNOR TO GOSS PRINTINGPRESS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

QUICK LOCKUP FOR PLATE CYLINDERS.

Application filed May 18, 1926.

My invention. relates to printing presses, and more particularly to aquick lock-up for plate cylinders, in which the clips can be quicklychanged or adjusted to different positions, to correspond with differentnumher of columns, or sheet widths, which may he desired to be printedon a newspaper, or other printed product.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in parthereinafter and, in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned bypractice with the invention, the same being realized and attained bymeans of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in theappended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements,combinations, articles of manufacture. and improvements herein shown anddescribed.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a parthereof, illustrate several embodiments of the invention, and togetherwith the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings Fig. 1 is a fragmentary end elevation of a platecylinder equipped with one form of. my invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one form of adjusting or operatingmember;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, longitudinal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary. longitudinal sec-- tion on the line 44 of Fig.1;

Fig. 5 is a similar fragmentary, longitudinal sectlon, on an enlargedscale, showing the outer clip being adjusted on the clip rod tocooperate with a narrower printing plate having a different number ofcolumns or sheet width:

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary end elevation of a plate cylinder equipped withadifferent form of my invention:

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan View of the plate cylinder shown in Fig. 6;

i Fig. 8 is a fragmentary end elevation of a plate cylinder equippedwith another form of my invention;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary, vertical. section, on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8,looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of another form of actuating or adjustingmember adapted to be used with the form shown in Figs. El and 9;

Serial No. 109,816.

Fig. 11 is a detail, vertical, section on a small scale of amodification.

In printing a newspaper, or other printed product, it is frequentlynecessary to change the clips, holding the plates on the cylinder, sothat a newspaper, or other printed product, of a different number ofcolumns can be printed. For purposes of illustration, I have shown inFig. 4 a plate cylinder 1, having an outer printing plate 2 and an innerprinting plate 3, to print a news paper or other printed product of,say, seven columns. It is frequently desirable to quickly change theouter clips 4 and inner clips 5 to print a newspaper, or other printedproduct, of a different width, say, for ex ample, six columns. While Ihave referred to printed products of six and seven columns, it is to beunderstood that these are simply illustrative for my invention isadapted to be employed to make any suitable adjustment for differentsheet widths, as, for example, eight, seven or six columns. It. is alsoadapted to make adjustments for different column widths; for example,for a sheet of eight columns 12 ems, to a sheet of eight columns 13 ems,or any other suitable adjustment can be made.

My present invention relates to adjusting simultaneously the outer clips4 and inner clips 5 upon a plurality of clip rods 6, so as to save time,which is a very material factor in printing newspapers, or similarprinted products.

The plate cylinder 1 is provided with longitudinal grooves 7 withinwhich are mount ed the clip rods 6. These rods are all alike and,therefore, only one will be described. They are formed in two parts, theouter part 8 and the inner part 9. The outer part 8 of the clip rod isprovided on its exterior with male screw-threads 10 to cooperate withfemale screw-threads 11 in the longitudinal bore of the outer clip 4.The inner end of this section 8 of the clip rod is provided with anaxial bore within which are female screw-threads 12 of one-half pitch ofthe male screw-threads 10 on the exterior of the outer section 8. Theinner section 9 of the clip rod 6 is provided with male screw-threads 13to cooperate with the female screw-threads 12 within the section 8 ofthe clip rod 6. This section 9 is also pro-- titled with a spline 14cooperatin with the and 15 of set. screw 1.6. The mar end of in Figs. 1to 5, after simultaneously adjusting the clips on two of the clip rodst, the adjusting or operated member t9 is slipped off of one pin andpositioned on the other pin 4.0 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.,where the adjustment just described would have to be repeated for theother two clip rods 6.

I have shown another form of my invention in Figs. 6 and 7, wherein thesame operating or adjusting member l9, shown in Fig. 52, can be employedto operate all four of the clip rods 6 and all of the outer clips 4 andinner clips 5 simultaneously, without shifting the position of theadjusting or operating member 49. i

In this form of my invention, the clip rtuls 6, 6 are provided withdriven or gear wheels 31., 31, the same as in the form shown in Figs. 1to 5, but in addit on thereto I employ two idle gear wheels 60 and (ilbetween each pair of driven. or gear wheels 31, 31. carried by the cliprod 6. These idle gear wheels 60 and 61 are carried by pins (32 mountedon the end plate 29 and are held in position by washers 63 and screws64;. l mount a central pin 65 on the end plate 29 in the position shownin Figs. 6 and T. It is obvious that by slipping the adjusting oroperating member 49 onto the pin 65 (Figs. 6 and 7) that its teeth 43will cooperate with the teeth of two of the gear or driven members 31,31 carried by two 01 the clip rods 6, (5. It is also clear thatoperating: the ratchet lever 44: in the manner indicated by the arrowsin Fig. 6 will cause all thegear wheels to rotate as indicated, servingto simultaneously operate all four of the clip rods 6 and with themsimultaneously adjust all eight of the outer and inner clips i and 5. Byreversing the pawl 45 and operating the ratchet lever in the oppositedirection trom that indicated by the arrow, the clip rods t'. (i will begiven an opposite rotation, resulting in an opposite movement ot theouter and inner clips 4 and 5 respectively.

I have shown another modification of my invention in Figs. 8, 9 and 10,which is similar to that shown in Fig. 6 except that a different form ofactuating or adjusting; member is employed. In this term, the same idlegear wheels and 61 are employed between pairs of gear wheels 31, 31,carried by a pair of clip rods 6, h, but in- 'stead of a removable gearwheel slipping:

onto a pin, such as 65 shown in Fig. 6, I mount an extra or seventh gearwheel mounted on a pin 71 (Fig. 9), carried by the end plate 29 andprovided with teeth 72 and with a reduced portion 73. A washer 74: and ascrew 75 are employed to prevent the accidental disengagement 01. thisgear wheel. 70 from its bearingpin 71.

In, this form of my invention, the adjusting or operating member 76 i sa ratchet lever 77, having two jaws 78 and 78, with an in tel-posedcrotch 79 which is adapted to fit over and straddle therediiiced portion73 ot .the gear wheel 70 and be seated thereon.

ihe pawl 80 is provided with double teeth 81 and S2 to cooperate withthe teeth i2 ot the gear wheel 70. It will be apparent from this formthat it n'iorely necessary to slip the operating or adjusting member 76over the reduced portion 7 of the gear wheel 70 and bring one of itsteeth 81 or 82 into engagement with teeth 72 ot' the gear wheel andoperate the ratchet lever, in one direction or the other as the case maybe, to 1'0- tatc the seven dil'i'erent gear wheels shown in l ig. 8 toform a quiet: and simultaneous adj natment oil? all the outer and innerclips t and 5 on all l'our out the dil'ferent clip rods 6, (3 tordi'tl'erent widths oi printing plates due to different coluininition.

It desiredmne or both the idle gear wheels 60 and 61. may be providedwith a. reduced portion 103 (Fig. Til.) similar to the portion Til otthe gear wheel 70. This would permit the actuating or adjusting member76 to engage at three (ili'll'erent locations with the train at nearwheels to actuate them. This would be quite desirable as it would permitthe train of gears to be operated without actuating the plate cylinder 1to make the wheel 70 accessible.

In the specifications and claims, reference has been made to (litter-outnumber at columns or dittereut eolun'in widths, as well as to diil erentnumber of columns or width ot sheet to be printed. ..t is to beunderstood that these terms are meant to. and do cover d ifterentlengths of stereotype plates ren'i'ird less oi the width of sheet, orthe width ol printed matter, or the number of columns. It is clear thatyou can print any number ot columns with the same length plate and withthe sai'ne width of printed matter and the same width ot sheet byvarying the widths oi the columns. It also possible to vary the width otthe printed matter without varying: the length oi? the stereotype platesor the width of the printed sheet. In such case the width oi? the marginwould vary. as for example, by casting a blank margin on the end ot thestereotype plates. By arrangingthe printed matter and blank margin onthe sterotype castings, it would be possible to print on di tlerentwidths of sheets without varying the length ot the plates. Againstereotype plates are not always cast with the columns transverse to theaxis of the printing cylinder. They are often cast with the columnsrunning parallel with the axis of the cylinder. In such cases the widthof the printed matter would become the length of the columns. and ashorter or longer column min-ht necessitate a shorter or longer pl ate.All these uses are and are meant to be, iuehided in the claims.

ill)

The invention in its hroader aspects is not liin'iited to the specificiuechanisn'is shown and described but departures may he made therefromWithin the scope (it the aeeonr panying' claims Without departing fromthe principles of the invention and Without sacrilieinpg its chiefadvantages.

What I claim is:

1. In a quick loch-up :lor plate eylii'iders including aplurality ofouter clips a plural-- ity of inner clips and a plurility oit clip rods,each operatively 0 associated with an outer clip and an inner clip, eachclip rod being provided with a gear Wiltflll, and a removable gear wheeladapted to operate sinniltaneously a plurality of said near wheels toadjust the clips outer and inner on said clip rods for (li liereutwidths ol printing; plates to correspond with di ll'erent coluuu'u:-tion.

it. In a quick loch-up tor plate cylinders .luding a plur: lily of miterclips a pluy of inner clips and a plurality ot clip rods, eachoperz'itively associated with an outer clip and an inner clip, each cliprod heiug provided with a gear Wheel, idle gear wheels connecting; the uear wheels on the clip rods, and a rei'i'mvz'ihle ear Wheel adapt ed tooperate siu'lultaneou all of said pear Wheels to adjust the outer andinner clips on said clip rods for dillerei'it widths of printing platesto correspoi'ul with diil'erent colul'nnation.

3. In a quick locleup tor plate cylinders including a plurality ol.outer clips a pin rality oi? inner clips and. a. 'ilurality o'li cliprods, each operatively associated with an outer clip and an innerclip,eaoh clip rod heing provided with a gear Wheel. and a reiuovahlegear Wheel. provided with a. lever and ratchet adapted to operatesiiuultaneously av plurality of said near wheels to adjust the outer andinner clips on said clip rods tor ditl'ereut widths of prii'itine'plates to correspond with different columnation.

4;. In a quick lock-up .lor plate cylinders including a plate cylinder.a lock-up plate, clip rods, outer and inner clips mounted on each ofsaid rods. an end plate, the ends of the clip rods extending through thelocleup plate and end plate and provideifl with near Wheels, a removablegear Wheel adapter to simultaneously operate a plurality of said gearWheels, and means to operate said removable gear Wheel to adjust theouter and inner clips on said clip rods tor di'llierent Widths oi?printing; plates to correspond with dillerent colunination.

In. a quiel: lock-up lor plate cylinders including plat-e cylinder, a.lock-up plate, clip rods, outer and inner clips mounted on each of saidrod-s, an end plate, the ends of the clip'rods extending; through thelockup plate and end plate and provided with gear Wli CQlF-l, al'QJiiO'VilllllU gear Wheel adapted to simultaneously operate aplurality of said gear wheels, and a lever and ratchet to o ieratc said,ren'iorahle gear Wheel to adjust the outer and inner clips on said cliprods "for dill' erent Widths ot' ninting plates to correspond withditlerent columnation.

(3. In a. quick loch-up :lor plate cylinders inchuling, a platecylinder, a locleup plate, clip rods. outer and inner clips mounted oneach ol? said rods, an end plate, the ends of the clip rods extcndii'ithrough the lock-up plate and the end plate and provided with. gearWluiels. idle gear wheels connecting; he gear Wheels on the clip rods,and a removahli gz ear wheel, lever and pawl adapted to actuate saidgear Wheels to adjust all the clips siuu'iltaueously on their respectiveclip rods tor different widths of printing plates regardless ot anyparticular position of the pl etc eydinder.

7. In a quick lock-up for plate cylinders including a. plate cylinder, aloch-up plate, clip rods, clips inoiiinted on the rods, an end plate,the ends of the clip rods extending through the locleup plate and theend plate and provided with near Wheels, a stud mounted on the endplate, and a removable gear Wheel adapted to engage and be seated onsaid stud to actuate a plurality of said goal, wheels. 7

S. A quick lockaip for plate cylinders including in con'ihination a plate cylinder havii'ig a, plurality ot clip rods provided with plateolan'iping' clips, a gear 'WliGBl on each clip rod, and a remov: hlegear 'WliGOl adapted to mesh with a plurality of said gear Wheels tosimultaneously operate the corresponding clip rods.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

CURTIS OPAFTS.

